Worldwide Equipment fire likely electrical

PRESTONSBURG — Work is still ongoing to clean up and rebuild after an intense fire devastated Worldwide Equipment’s parts and service building in Prestonsburg two weeks ago. But first, officials with the company want to know what caused the fire.

Prestonsburg Fire Chief Bobby Carpenter says they have brought in no fewer than three investigative agencies to trace the source of the fire. Current evidence suggests the fire was electrical, possibly originating with a bathroom ventilation fan, but that has yet to be confirmed by the independent investigators.

“They’re still in the cause determination phase,” Carpenter said Tuesday. “Donan Engineering is still working on that. They actually brought in some forensic electrical reconstructionists. They feel pretty confident [the fire] was electrical, but they’re just trying to pinpoint the exact cause — whether it was a faulty motor, just something worn out, a lack of maintenance, or whatever the multiple scenarios could be.”

Carpenter says that, at the same time, Worldwide Equipment has begun the initial steps for an eventual rebuilding. “They’ve started cleanup. All the oil spill has been cleaned up and mitigated. At this point, all we know for certain is that they’re planning to build back.”

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